


December 9th: Stranded

by Susspencer



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M, ProﬁlersForChristmas2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 03:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8781415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susspencer/pseuds/Susspencer
Summary: The team gets called out on a case 3 days before Christmas.  Will they get it wrapped up and home for Christmas with their families?  Will everyone's Christmas dreams come true?  Or will the Unsub have it in for them or someone else?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [ProfilersForChristmas2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ProfilersForChristmas2016) collection. 



It was December 21st. The BAU was decorated for the holidays. The team thought, that just maybe after they had gotten back on the 19th from their last case, they might be able to fly under the radar, and make it to Christmas without another case. Garcia sauntered in with a batch of homemade cookies. Wearing a red santa hat, she stopped at each desk delivering her goodies to her fearless team of superheros. Heading up to Hotch’s office, the jingle bell earrings that she was wearing tinkling along as she bounced up the stairs. She knocked on the closed door. “Come,” Hotch answered. Opening the door, Penelope entered to find Rossi sitting in front of Hotch’s desk with a folder in his lap. 

 

“Cookies for my crime fighters, gentlemen.” Garcia announced, pushing the plate forward, offering Hotch and then Rossi cookies. Smiling a big smile, Hotch took the cookie that he was offered. Rossi reached for two cookies, winking at Garcia, who only smiled back in reply. She glanced down at the folder, looking up asked, “that isn’t what I think it is, is it?” 

 

“Unfortunately, yes.” Hotch sighed. “Trying to figure out if we have to take everyone or not.”

 

“Looking like we are going to need all hands,” Rossi glumly added. 

 

“Would you mind gathering the team, please?” Hotch asked.

 

“Well at least they had cookies before the news. See you in the conference room then, excuse me.” Garcia left to put the cookies on the round table and called the team.

 

Hotch and Rossi entered the room, to the sound of grumbles, complaints, and a few whines. 

 

“I know. If there was another way, trust me we wouldn’t be going to Wabasha, Minnesota, of all places, 3 days before Christmas,” Hotch said.

 

“They have had 3 murders of men over 55, in the last 10 days.” Rossi said, passing out copies of the file to the team. 

 

That was how it had all started just 3 days ago, 3 long, cold, miserable, lonely days ago. Rossi recalled with all the grumpiness of the season he could muster. If you could read his mind, you could probably hear a bah humbug in there. But that was the job after all, someone had to help chase down Sebastian, 23 years old, who had gone off the rails because of the constant berating of his grandfather. He started killing any grumpy older man that yelled, argued, or said anything disparaging about snowboarders. After a 4th kill and taking a 5th victim, the team had been able to catch him, before he carved another smile into Mr. Carson’s face. The Wabasha police department was thankful and the community was relieved, the team returned to the Anderson house hotel to start packing up. It was late on the 23rd and they would be flying home on the 24th in the morning. Giving the team time to make it home for Christmas, Rossi thought about how he would fly out to Joy’s to see his grandson. 

 

Hotch was in his room, gathering his things to pack them. Reid was watching the weather in his room as he was already packed. JJ was on the phone with Will making sure that they had everything for Henry. Morgan was laying back on the bed relaxing thinking about seeing Savannah tomorrow. Garcia had just gotten all of her technical items properly and safely packed. She sat down for a moment before starting on her personal items. Kate had just finished her shower and was packing her go bag. Reid cringed as he stood up and turned the volume up on the Weather Channel. “Blizzard conditions, coming up suddenly in the Wisconsin area. Looking to last for the next 48 hrs. Not letting up until late Christmas day.” He sighed and walked over to pick up his phone and room key. Heading to Hotch’s room, before he could knock, Spencer received a text telling the team to meet in the lobby in 10 minutes. Closing his eyes, he put his phone back in his pocket and silently walked to the lobby. 

 

Grabbing a coffee, Reid doctored it up to his taste and found a table near the Christmas tree, sat down and waited for the rest of the team. JJ and Kate came down at the same time. They smiled at Spencer as he waved them over. Rossi came down next, complaining about wanting to get to sleep, so that morning could get here sooner. Morgan and Garcia came down laughing about some joke one of them had told in the elevator. Reid stared out the window at the storm picking up. It was starting to get heavy. The snow was falling when they caught Sebastian. The wind had picked up on the way to the hotel, that was the reason he had been watching the weather. Hotch walked up to the table with his usual stoic expression on his face. 

 

“I just got a call from the pilot. Planes are grounded until Christmas day.” He said. Before he could continue, the team started complaining and griping about the situation. Holding his hand up to stop the multiple voices that were raised in frustration,”I am beyond pissed also. I checked with commercial airlines and private. All air travel is shut down. There is blizzard that has basically started. We probably have time to get some dinner other than room service and then we are going to be trapped here at the hotel til Christmas day.” 

 

“I will go check with the desk clerk to see what their plans are for food, etc. during the storm.” JJ volunteered.

 

“Well let’s get dinner ordered then. What do we want?” Morgan asked.

 

“Anything but chinese,” Kate said. 

 

They got their order together and had dinner brought in from the Pioneer Club,  
Great food featuring prime rib, BBQ ribs and broasted chicken. “Hey, I may get trapped but, I am going to eat well.” Rossi said. 

 

JJ came back and let the team know that room service and the little cafe would be cooking meals through the blizzard. If power went out, they had wood fireplaces in most of the rooms and could also cook with wood or gas. Everything was planned for and always taken care of if there were storms, the desk manager had assured her. The team members took time to call their families before going to bed to let them know that they wouldn’t be home for Christmas.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Christmas eve morning, Hotch woke up first. It was late for him actually, 8:30am. Looking out his room window, he knew he was going to forego his morning run. He sighed, thinking about Jack. At least Jack was with family, Jessica and Roy would make Christmas as wonderful as possible. He had told Jessica to go to his apartment and get Jack’s presents from Santa to take to her home, even though he would have loved to see Jack’s expression opening them. He had missed too many of them over the years, and now another one. He resigned himself to a miserable Christmas.

 

Rossi was up next as his phone rang. Hayden was calling from Joy’s house. “Dave, can’t you make something happen? A bus, train, something? Kai is so sad that you can’t be here.” Dave walked over and opened the curtains. The wind howling was deafening. You could almost hear it on the phone. “Sweetheart, if I could, I would.” He sighed into the phone. “There is truly no other place that I want to be. If I were a younger man, I would dig my way there.” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. They talked for a bit as he described the white, swirling, blowing, icy picture outside his window. It was the worst storm he had ever seen, which was sad as it was suppose to worsen later in the day. 

 

Morgan woke up and headed over to Reid’s room to see if he was ready for breakfast. He figured coffee and conversation would be the best way to start the day, before facing Garcia and Savannah today.

 

Meg called Kate to complain about being stuck home alone with Chris. She wanted to go over her friends’ and Chris said no because it was Christmas eve. Kate tried to explain about not imposing on other families’ holidays and things like that, but she just couldn’t make Meg see. The call ended with a very upset Meg and a frustrated Kate. She headed downstairs to get some coffee and think, running into JJ on the way.

 

“What’s wrong? Kate.”

 

“Meg is mad that she is home alone with Chris and he won’t let her go hang with a friend.”

 

JJ suggested, “Why don’t you let her go til like 4pm or something reasonable? Then everyone will be happy.”

 

“Good idea. Thanks.” Kate said as she pulled out her phone to call home.

 

Reid and Morgan grabbed some coffee and found everyone but Hotch and Garcia milling around. After a discussion, they decided on a late lunch with the team for Christmas eve to celebrate. A text was sent to all to confirm a time. Everyone went on their way to take care of whatever they needed to do before then. Not that the storm would let them leave the hotel, but at least it was decorated festively and warm. 

 

3:30pm everyone gathered in the Cafe for lunch. They ate, drank, laughed, a normal team get together. You never would have guessed they were stranded. They told stories of stories of Christmases from their Childhoods. Spencer listened to the joy of the memories of normalish families. He knew that even though most of the team’s members weren’t from the best of homes, their memories were more traditional than his. He tried to keep his expression joyful and festive, but someone noticed when it slipped. The team lunch broke up about 6:00 with everyone heading to their rooms to call family, or to watch a traditional holiday movie, etc. Spencer walked slowest to his room, stopping to stare out into the snow. He didn’t notice the person keeping an eye on him, all the way.

 

Spencer turned on the TV plopped on the bed, some Christmas movie playing. He really wasn’t paying attention. His mind was just torturing him about all the Christmas things, traditions, etc. that he had missed over the years. He dozed off.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Looking out the front of the hotel lobby as the snow was falling, the wind blowing hard, you couldn’t even see across the street. The Christmas lights from the hotel window reflected back into the lobby. Reid sighed, although he had no one to spend Christmas with, being trapped seemed to make him yearn for this year to be the one. The one where Santa had left him someone under the tree. Morgan had Savannah. Rossi had reconnected with Hayden, and now had not only a daughter, but a grandson too. JJ had Will and the boys. Hotch had Jack, and had had Haley before. Yet, Spencer had never had anyone. While he was staring out the window, someone came up behind him. They stood there for a while, just watching Spencer. Considering what it might be that had Reid down, what was going through his mind, the man took a deep breath and stepped forward wrapping his arms around Spencer’s waist. Spencer startled, since he hadn’t heard them over the howling wind, and tried to see who it was. Since the man was leaning into his neck, Spencer couldn’t get a look. 

 

“Who’s there?” He asked turning his head side to side.

 

“Someone who wants to know, what has got you down at 2am Christmas morning?” 

 

“Nothing really, just not wanting to be stuck here.” Spencer answered, trying to decipher the muffled voice at his neck over the wind.

 

“You’re stuck here with profilers who don’t want to be stuck here either. It is more than that. Each Christmas you get blue like this, and this one seems worse. May I venture a guess?” The voice said, squeezing him tighter.

 

The hug felt good, secure. Spencer leaned back into his … his what? What do you call the person holding you and making you feel good, the one not letting you go. “Sure.”

 

“You’re lonely. In search of someone to spend your Christmas with, if not the rest of your life. You have been on your own for too long.” Placing a chaste kiss on the back of his neck, the man continued. “There's a certain someone that you wish that it could be also.”

 

Spencer was dumbfounded. How had this man read him so well? How did he know his secrets? Who was this man making him feel wanted, safe, and what was the word for this feeling? Understood! Trying to wiggle around and see who this was, to see if it was the one was hoping it was, Spencer answered, “you are an excellent profiler and excellent at keeping yourself hidden. Am I supposed to guess? Or do I have to embarrass myself by telling you who it is that I was hoping to find under my tree?” 

 

“Never!! You are too wonderful to ever be embarrassed by what you want, who you are, or what you know.” Letting go of Spencer, his mystery man smiled, a big dimpled smile and gazed straight at Spencer as he turned to discover who it was behind him. Almost melting to the floor, when his hazel eyes met the deep chocolate eyes of Aaron Hotchner, boss and man of his Christmas wishes for years. “H-h-how long have you kn-known?” Spencer was able to get out.

 

“That you have been wishing Santa would leave me in your stocking?” Aaron inquired, “Unfortunately, I am a bit dense, if you hadn’t noticed, (Spencer rolled his eyes, with a smile on his face.) Last year. Took me getting stuck here to get up the nerve to say something. I guess melancholy is contagious.” Leaning forward, Aaron gave Spencer a quick peck on the lips. He smiled again. “Come on, let’s get some sleep before the team wakes for Christmas breakfast.” He took Spencer’s hand and walked him to the elevator. Spencer leaned into Aaron on the ride up to their rooms. He didn’t feel as cold any more and certainly less lonely. Another kiss goodnight and they adjourned to their rooms.

 

Christmas morning came. The storm seemed to be calming. Breakfast had been scheduled late. 10am, everyone trickled into the Cafe. Yawns, and wishes of Merry Christmas welcomed the team. A dimpled smile greeted Spencer. 

 

“I just got a call from the pilot. Airport will reopen at noon. We can fly out shortly after.” Aaron announced. 

 

A cheer went up. The team enjoyed their breakfast and ran up to pack eager to get home for what was left of Christmas. 

 

“You will come home with me.” Aaron whispered to Spencer as they were the last to walk out. Spencer nodded and smiled. 

 

“Merry Christmas after all,” Spencer said.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
> 
> The team are called away on three days before Christmas for a particularly gruesome case. They wrap it up on the 24th, but a snow storm leaves them stranded and they have to spend the rest of Christmas Eve and half of Christmas day holed up in the hotel together. Amongst the angst of being away from their families, some fluff as some discover they have feelings for each other (I'm a Hotch/Reid shipper but you can pair up whoever you want!)


End file.
